Various conditions of the skin can be treated by topical action or applications. For example, topically applied compounds, drugs or healing substances can improve an unwanted condition of the skin, reduce its effect, or alleviate the suffering caused by the condition. Examples of conditions of this nature include recovering wounds and cuts, scars, blemishes, acne, and others.
As an example, wounds leave behind scars after the wound heals, scars varying in their degree of visibility depending on several factors. One reason that scars are visible to the eye is that scars may be created in geometrical patterns, such as in straight lines as would happen if a sharp instrument caused the wound that resulted in the scar. Also, when the skin heals following a wound, the formation of the scar may cause contraction or pulling on adjacent areas of skin and this tension in the skin may cause deformation in the adjacent skin or organs, especially if the scar is near a facial organ such as the lips or eye lids. Another reason that scars are visible and considered unsightly is that they may carry a discoloration or a different color from the surrounding skin. Typically, scars may have a pale appearance or may have a reddish or brown colored appearance sometimes known as hyper pigmentation. Hyper pigmentation is sometimes treated with bleaching agents. When a scar causes redness this may sometimes be treated with a laser that softens the appearance of redness. Loss of color or hardening in the scar tissue is sometimes treated using steroid injections to soften the tissue in the vicinity of the scar.
For especially unsightly scars, cosmetic surgery may be applied after the scar is well formed, which is usually six or twelve months following the healing of the wound. An evaluation of the scar is made by a cosmetic surgeon and a variety of surgical techniques may be applied to the scar to mitigate its appears or to reduce the obviousness of the scar to the observers eye. As stated above, since scars are sometimes more visible when they are formed in straight lines that are readily apparent to the observer's eye, surgical techniques may be applied to break up the geometric or straight line configuration of the scar. In one technique a geometric broken line repair is made that causes a previously straight scar to have a more convoluted shape. In other techniques, a procedure known as z-plasty applies small fresh cuts in the vicinity of the scar and rolls them inward to cause an irregular appearance, which is applied in cases of where there is insufficient tissue near the scar to perform a geometric broken line repair. In yet other circumstances, a so-called “running w-plasty” is performed, which is a compromise of the two techniques described above.
For scars that have caused unsightly hard tissue at the surface of the skin, a mechanical dermabrasion or sanding of the scar tissue may be performed to reduce this appearance.
The above cosmetic surgical procedures are generally expensive and only required or appropriate for severe scarring. These procedures generally require the creation of fresh wounds deliberately that cut into the skin so as to create correspondingly newer scars that have a less offensive appearance. Therefore, there are risks and discomfort issues associated with the above techniques that are both expensive painful and inconvenient. Following the above-mentioned surgical procedures, the patient is required to typically wait several months for the surgical cuts and wounds to heal, after which the desired reconfigured scars become apparent and in the best cases outcomes, the new reconfigured scars are less unsightly than the original scar. It can be appreciated that the inconvenience, cost and discomfort, as well as the invasive nature of the above surgical procedures are not ideal or pleasant for the patient that undergoes them.
In other modalities, physical and mechanical stimulation of scar tissue has been found to soften and ameliorate the intensity of the scar in certain patients. As an example, physical therapy including massage and rubbing of the scar tissue and adjacent skin has been found to provide certain benefits to patients with scars. The procedures for reduction of the size or appearance of a scar are generally referred to here in as scar revision. It has also been found that in some situations acoustics may be used, such as by application of ultrasound to scar tissue in order to cause vibratory mechanical treatment of the scar tissue that assists in scar revision. However, the devices and techniques presently employed for scar revision are collectively expensive, inconvenient, uncomfortable, and not as effective as would be desired.
Some existing efforts to apply vibratory action to a skin surface are found in the art. US Pub. No. 2009/0259168 A1, which is directed to a vibrating element in a sticky bandage that is stuck to the skin for application of cosmetic agents or drugs thereto through massaging action of the vibrating element, including battery powered embodiments and embodiments having programmable activation logic. But this reference adheres its bandage (the “sticky bandage” or “SB”) to the skin and is not useful for treating conditions that benefit from abrasive action of the applicator or that require relative movement between a surface and the affected skin region.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,628,764 applies a portable ultrasonic source to purportedly heal wounds. The transducer is placed proximal to the wound and emits ultrasonic energy towards the wound as longitudinal or shear waves. The ultrasonic frequency used in this reference is rather high for most applications that benefit from massaging action and the ultrasonic transducer is not configured in the reference to apply relative movement or abrasive action.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,296 is directed to a composition that is topically applied to skin for treatment of acne and purportedly speeds the healing of scars through stimulation of the production of collagen and if the composition is sonicated into the affected area using an ultrasonic vibrating element.
US Pub. No. 2008/0058648 A1 is directed to an ultrasonic device for treatment of wounds whereby the device is powered to cause acoustic cavitation in the wound and thereby purportedly increase the delivery of energy to the debrided tissue regions for enhancing healing. This apparatus cannot be applied conveniently or for prolonged periods of time to a patient, and causes effects from the cavitation and ultrasonic energy that are generally not consistent with the action desired in the present application.
US Pub. No. 2003/0212350 is directed to treatment of scar tissue using a suction device that raises the scar tissue so that manual manipulation or sonic vibration can be applied to disrupt the fibrous tissues of the scar. This apparatus like others above is not suited for convenient application to a user's skin and is awkward to use, heavy, and cannot be applied for lengthy time periods. Also, it lacks the desired curative action of the present disclosure as will be clear below.
Accordingly, the present disclosure describes embodiments for an apparatus and a technique for treatment of skin conditions and for accelerating or allowing scar revision using vibratory energy applied at or near the location of a scar.